unorthodox tone woods

Coltron

Coltron

New member
Out east here we don't have any of the common woods used for electric guitar bodies. So when I start to build one this summer I don't want to spend alot on the body wood in case i screw up. So I would Like to know if any of the local common species of trees are good for a body wood, but also not too heavy.

they are:
(hardwoods)
Birch
Sugar Maple
Rock Maple
Popolar
White Ash

(soft woods)
Firs
REd Cedar
Spruces
Tamarack
Pines
 
Re: unorthodox tone woods

Those hardwoords are good for electrics. The soft woods I've seen used on acoustics
 
Re: unorthodox tone woods

poplar sounds like alder, but is uglier.

It's also light. As long as you're painting the guitar, Poplar is fine.
 
Re: unorthodox tone woods

Poplar and Maples are great body woods.... I used poplar in some of my home made guitars.... the place i bought the poplar told me there is a ton of slightly different trees all called Poplar.... i always wondered which poplar are best for tone woods...

The EB Steve Moorse model i like is poplar.....
 
Re: unorthodox tone woods

When in doubt, go aluminum. :)

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Re: unorthodox tone woods

Canadian Rock Maple is a great wood for necks. It has a great feel and a very nice pattern. I had a rock maple neck with rosewood fretboard on my first guitar which had a poplar body. The combo was loud bright and clear. Unfortunately I don't have that neck anymore because I broke the headstock!:crying:
 
Re: unorthodox tone woods

I'd go poplar in a soild body among those listed.

If I was to use maple for any of the body, a maple cap over a chambered poplar back would be cool......
 
Re: unorthodox tone woods

I think that all of those woods have to be dried and go through some selction to get the best piece for an instrument. You'll have to check it (don't know enough about the subject).

Birch is used by Manne guitars for necks inside a maple frame and I've seen most of the woods you have mentioned in the context of different guitars.

Rock maple neck with an ash body and a spruce top should be a good combination. If you can chamber the body it could produce a killer guitar.
 
Re: unorthodox tone woods

this is gonna be my first attempt at a gutar so I doubt chambering and maple tops are gonna be done, (hopefully some day). It sounds like poplar would be the body wood. Has anyone ever heard of a solid birch body? I have quite a bit of pre-dried birch boards here and that would be the most economical decision, (however sounding like crap isnt worth saving a few pennies)
 
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